Schools across the East affected by potentially dangerous concrete
Some pupils may be going back to online learning
Last updated 4th Sep 2023
Ministers are under pressure to spell out their plans to make schools safe from aerated concrete that could suddenly collapse as pupils start the new term.
Children's summer holidays are coming to an end and Parliament is returning from recess against a backdrop of uncertainty about how long disruption will last as any risks are mitigated.
In Suffolk, at least four schools are affected:
- Claydon High School
- Farlingaye High School
- Hadleigh High School
- East Bergholt High School
"We are sorry for the inconvenience"
In Norfolk, the County Council says an inspection last year showed none of their schools contained the material.
But Thomas Bullock Primary Academy, in Shipdham has now had to delay the start of it's new term, after RAAC was found in the roof of it's school hall
Oliver Burwood is CEO of Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust, who run the school:
"Updated guidance from the Department of Education issued on 31 August recommends that Trusts and schools consider not using any area containing RAAC until remedial works are carried out or the RAAC is replaced.
"The Trust and school will be following this advice to ensure the safest possible environment for pupils and staff.
"This means that the school hall will be out of use until the appropriate remedial works or replacement is completed. The school had been scheduled to open to pupils on 5th September.
"We have advised parents that the school opening will be 6th September in order to ensure we have everything safe, organised and ready for a successful school year.
"We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused but hope that in this specific circumstances it will be understood.”
"Spend what it takes"
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt moved to reassure parents the Government would "spend what it takes" to address the problem, but Treasury sources later said money for repairs would come from the Department for Education's (DfE) existing capital budget.
More than 100 schools and colleges have been told by the Government to fully or partially shut buildings following the recent collapse of a beam previously considered safe.
But more classrooms could be forced to shut as further assessments are made of the risks of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in buildings, the Government has admitted.
"Scandal"
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said it is a "scandal that as children are just returning to school ministers are still not being upfront about the scale of what we are facing".
"It's vital that they publish the list of all the schools as soon as possible," she said.
"If they don't do that, we'll force a vote in the House of Commons to make sure that parents can know exactly what's going on.
"This is completely unacceptable, children have seen so much disruption to their education and ministers need to get a grip on this because this is a department that is in complete chaos."
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will face the morning broadcast round on Monday for the first time since the schools crisis emerged on Thursday, and as she prepares to inform Parliament this week of the Government's plans to address the problem.
Ministers have promised to publish a list of the schools affected "in due course" but Labour has threatened to force a vote to compel its publication next week.
Remote learning
Remote learning for children unable to access face-to-face lessons should last "days, not weeks", the Government has said, but ministers have not said exactly when the disruption might ease.
Education leaders have been encouraged to use community centres, empty office buildings or other schools while structural supports are installed to mitigate the risk of collapse.
Unions have been angered by uncertainty about which costs will be covered by central Government, calling for transparency on whether headteachers will be reimbursed for mitigation expenditure.
Ms Phillipson said she was concerned that "raiding" the DfE's capital budget - money for buildings and infrastructure - to fund repairs could have a negative effect in the long-term.
The crisis over the potentially dangerous concrete will add to the challenges in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's intray as Parliament returns.
Other buildings could be affected
Concerns about Raac - a lightweight concrete used up until the mid-1990s - in public buildings were raised in 2018, prompting accusations that ministers have failed to act quick enough.
Experts have warned that the risks may extend beyond schools to hospitals, court buildings and prisons, where the material is present.
Schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also being assessed for Raac.
The Scottish Government has said it is present in 35 schools, but that none posed an "immediate risk" to pupil safety.
The Welsh Government said councils and colleges have not reported any presence of Raac.